


Where Solitude Ends

by Moon_Blitz



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 03:34:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11843145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Blitz/pseuds/Moon_Blitz
Summary: After the Ceremonial Duel, Yugi and Seto find that there is a hole in their life that the Pharaoh once occupied. A hole that must be filled with something or someone. As it turns out, it is each other than can fulfill this task.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FleetSparrow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetSparrow/gifts).



Chapter 1

“Kaiba-kun.” Seto barely even paused in his typing as his name was said, confident that the twinge in his stomach at the familiar voice didn’t show in his expression.

“Yugi.” When no reply came, he huffed and asked sharply, “What do you want?”

“I was wondering when you where going to come back to school.” At the edge of his vision, he saw Yugi shift, and bit back another sigh.

“I don’t plan on returning,” he said flatly, keeping his eyes fixed on the computer screen.

“But Kaiba-kun-”

Seto cut Yugi off before he could finish. “I have a company to run, Yugi, one that requires all of my attention and time. I’m not a normal high school student like you.” In truth, Yugi was anything but a normal high school student, but he wasn’t about to pay his rival a compliment that easily. Sensing that he was about to keep protesting, Seto added, “I only attended before because I thought Kaiba Corp was in secure hands. Now that it’s clear that only I can run it, school isn’t an option.”

“I...I see.” Yugi sounded disappointed, but that was nothing new. For some unfathomable reason, Yugi considered him a friend, and thus expected certain things from him. It was complete nonsense as far as Seto was concerned. Yugi had never been a friend, just a rival. And with the spirit of the Pharaoh now gone, he wasn’t certain if that was even true anymore.

“May I come visit you then, if you’re not too busy?” That request made him pause and finally look over at the other duelist. Yugi was looking at him with wide eyes, wearing an expression that could almost be described as nervousness. Seto frowned at him, considering the question.

“Do whatever you want,” he finally said, returning his attention to the computer screen and the documents he was typing up. Still, he couldn’t help but notice how Yugi beamed at him and this time he sighed. “Is there anything else, Yugi?”

“No. Goodbye Kaiba-kun.” Seto muttered something that sounded suitable as Yugi left, then took out his phone as soon as the doors had shut behind him.

_“What is it, Big Brother?”_

“Next time you insist on showing Yugi to my office, let me know beforehand. I was in the middle of something.”

Mokuba sighed, sounded remarkably like Seto had moments ago. _“But you’re_ always _busy these days! You should really relax a little...”_

“I don’t have the time to relax.” He appreciated Mokuba’s concern but because Kaiba Corp was so successful, it meant many people wanted to see it fall. After the stunt Pegasus had pulled and the subsequent attempts afterwards, he had to work harder than ever if the company was to meet his expectations. Jamming the phone between his ear and shoulder he opened up a new file and made some notes to start working on new cyber security.

_“Yeah, I know. Just don’t work too hard, ok? I’ll send dinner up later.”_

Seto ended the call and returned to his work, already planning out the next version of Kaiba Corp’s firewall and information safeguards.

\- - -

Yugi bent over his homework, pencil moving steadily across the page as he wrote out notes for the upcoming test. Ever so often he paused and raised his free hand to his chest, gently grasping the fabric of his shirt and twisting it between his fingers. He had been doing it a lot since returning from Egypt, missing the familiar weight of the Puzzle that he had worn for so long.

Eventually, he stopped writing and leaned back in his chair, staring out the skylight. It was cloudy, so he couldn’t see the moon, but he didn’t mind. “Pharaoh...” he murmured softly, bringing his hand up to join the other one. Yugi missed him dearly, and he wondered how long it would take the void in his heart and mind to fill. Jounouchi, Anzu and the others were doing their best to keep him occupied, but it was at night that he missed the spirit the most. At least he had them. Kaiba only had Mokuba.

“I’ll visit you for as long as it takes, Kaiba-kun,” he vowed to the empty room. “I’ll be with you until you stop missing him too.”

Mokuba had told him how Kaiba had buried himself in work as soon as they got back from Egypt, barely eating and sleeping even less. Mokuba had come to Yugi because he was worried about his brother, so Yugi had promised to help Kaiba however he could. And if Kaiba wouldn’t come to school, then he would just go to Kaiba Corp.

\- - -

Yugi arrived at the towering office building the next day shortly after school, Jounouchi and Anzu trailing after him.

“Are you sure you want to spend your time like this, Yugi?” Jounouchi asked doubtfully. “I mean, it would be more fun if we hung out at the arcade or something.”

“I want to be here,” he said firmly. “Kaiba-kun needs my help.”

“You keep saying that, but I don’t see why you gotta help a guy like him.” Jounouchi glared up at the massive KC letters that hung on the building. “Gotta figure he’s rich enough to hire his own help.”

“Jounouchi! You know what Kaiba’s like. He’d never do that.” Anzu frowned at him before turning to Yugi. “Go ahead and help Kaiba if that’s what you want to do. If there’s anything we can do, we’ll definitely help you.”

“Yeah!” Despite his previous comments, Jounouchi grinned and gestured towards the front doors. “Get in there and show Kaiba that you won’t take no for an answer!”

“Thank you!” Yugi smiled back at them, lifting a hand to wave goodbye. “See you tomorrow!”

“Goodnight!”

“See ya!”

He watched his friends walk off, then turned towards the building and took a deep breath before entering the building.

Mokuba was leaning against the front desk and brightened up as he spotted him. “Yugi!”

“Hi Mokuba. Is Kaiba-kun here today?”

“Yeah, he’s working down in the computer tech section. Come on, I’ll show you the way.” They chatted about the new set of Duel Monster cards released by Industrial Illusions on the way, Mokuba curious about how he was going to incorporate them into his deck. Yugi wasn’t sure yet, but he had brought his cards with him and would work on that today.

As they approached the room where Kaiba was, Mokuba lowered his voice and said, “He’s been writing code all day, so you probably shouldn’t bother him too much. If you get hungry there’s food in the staff room and dinner will be sent down later. If you need anything else, the staff will be happy to help you.”

“Alright, thanks.” Mokuba nodded and handed him an electronic keycard for the section, which Yugi used on the door once the boy had gone. He entered the darkened room quietly, gaze immediately drawn to the figure outlined in the glow from a computer monitor. Kaiba was typing intently, seemingly unaware that he had company. Yugi smiled to himself at that, pausing to admire the way the dim light highlighted Kaiba’s shoulders and torso. He couldn’t see Kaiba’s face, but he was sure that it was an expression of pure focus.

Looking around, he spotted a free computer station and unpacked his things as quietly as he could, switching on the lamp that was fixed to the table. The click of keys continued uninterrupted, so he assumed he wasn’t disturbing Kaiba and set about looking through the new cards.

\- - -

Seto lifted his hands from the keyboard, massaging his finger joints to get the kinks out of them. A glance at the clock told him it was well past midnight, and the ache in his stomach informed him that he hadn’t eaten since mid-afternoon. Had dinner been brought in? He vaguely remembered someone entering and saying something, but had brushed it off as unimportant. Perhaps that had been it.

Swivelling his chair around, he squinted from the unexpected light coming from the back of the room. Had some fool left a light on again? Electricity costs were high enough as they were without some idiot wasting more money. Rising, he strode over to the table, staring down with a strange mix of emotions at Yugi, head resting on folded arms and sound asleep. Mokuba must have let him in, but he couldn’t fathom why Yugi was here in the first place. Then something caught his eye.

A golden box covered in hieroglyphics sat next to him on the table, lid askew and nearly full of Duel Monsters cards. Set recognized it as the box that had held the Millennium Puzzle, and was surprised that it hadn’t been left in Egypt with everything else. He stared at the stacks of cards, intensely curious as to what cards Yugi had aside from the ones in his deck. But Seto had his pride, so he didn’t investigate the box, instead reaching out and giving Yugi’s shoulder a shake.

Yugi mumbled and shifted slightly, but otherwise didn’t stir. Kaiba shook his shoulder again, adding a stern “Yugi!” along with it. Yugi grimaced and opened his eyes, squinting sleepily.

“Kaiba-kun...?” He sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Did you finish your work?”

Seto ignored the question. “What are you doing here?”

“You said I could come visit you, so I did. I didn’t bother you, did I?”

“...No.” He hated to admit it, but Yugi hadn’t disturbed him at all. Switching topics, he said coolly, “It’s late. You’re family is probably wondering where you are.”

Yugi shook his head, smiling slightly. “No, it’s alright. I called Gramps earlier and told him that I might not be back tonight. Mokuba said that I could stay in the suites upstairs if I wanted to.”

Damn, his brother had thought of everything. Seto gritted his teeth and quickly thought over the situation. He could call a car to take Yugi home, but Mokuba had already offered him a place to stay and even Seto wasn’t rude enough to rescind the offer. “I’ll arrange a room.” Flicking open his cell phone, he walked back to the computer he was using and shut everything down during the call.

When he returned to Yugi, the other teenager had packed up his things and was waiting patiently. “Follow me,” Seto said briskly, striding towards the door. Yugi did, and the trip down the hall to the elevator was quiet. Once inside, Seto leaned against the wall, keeping his rival in his line of sight as the elevator rose smoothly towards the higher floors. Yugi still looked sleepy, but he seemed happy and kept looking at him like he wanted to tell Seto something. But the silence between them remained unbroken, and Seto once again took the lead as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open.

He stopped in front of the door on the left side of the short hallway and gestured at it. “You can use this suite for tonight. Call the front desk if you need anything.” He was about to leave, then remembered something. “Leave your school uniform by the door – it’ll be washed and ready for the morning.”

“Thank you, Kaiba-kun!” Yugi said warmly, the emotion behind his words making Seto’s stomach twist for some reason. No, he was just hungry, that was all. He would get something to eat and then go to bed.

“Goodnight, Yugi.” he replied, already heading back towards the elevator.

“Goodnight, Kaiba-kun. See you again soon.”

Yugi had already entered the suite as the elevator doors closed, and Seto frowned to himself, wondering how long this nonsense would continue.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 Yugi kept his promise to keep visiting Kaiba. Not every day, but often enough that the security guards and front desk staff grew to call him by name. If Kaiba was busy, then he hung out with Mokuba. Such was the case today, Kaiba being in a meeting with investors over an important decision for the company. Yugi had invited Mokuba out for milkshakes, and the younger boy had accepted eagerly.

“You know, I think having you around is helping Big Brother,” Mokuba said in between sips of his milkshake.

“Really?!” Yugi grinned at the news. Kaiba had seemed to tolerate his constant presence the last few months, but had appeared as distant and busy as ever.

“Yeah! He’s not working late into the night so often anymore, and he usually eats dinner now. Did you say anything to him?”

“Um...” Yugi thought back over their conversations. “No, I don’t think so. But I try to have dinner when it’s served, and I always say goodnight when I leave.” It was a relief, knowing that Kaiba wasn’t pushing himself as hard as he had been. It also felt strangely good to learn that Kaiba was paying attention to him, no matter how much he seemed to ignore Yugi at times.

Mokuba looked puzzled for a second, then brightened again. “Well, it must be working, so keep it up, ok? Things will probably get busier after this meeting.”

“What is the meeting about?” Kaiba had said it was an ‘important meeting’, which Yugi had learned was code for ‘this is confidential so stop asking’, but he hoped Mokuba might be more willing to talk about it.

“Sorry, I can’t tell you anything. Big Brother’s orders. You’ll have to wait for the official announcement, if one comes.” Mokuba grinned at him, and Yugi laughed, knowing he was defeated. Mokuba’s phone buzzed then, so Yugi returned to his milkshake as he took the call. Mokuba’s grin only grew wider as he spoke to the person on the other end, and he was beaming by the time he flipped the cell phone shut.

“Good news?” Yugi asked, getting an enthusiastic nod in return.

“Yeah! But you’ll have to wait until tonight to learn what it is. Keep an eye on the TV around 7.”

“Okay!” Yugi smiled at Mokuba’s excited tone, certain that Kaiba had something big planned.

\- - -

He sat on the couch in the living room several hours later, school notebook open and the TV on low. His mother and grandfather were in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner, and Yugi could hear the low murmur of their voices as he studied. The fanfare that accompanied a breaking news story caught his attention, so he put his schoolwork aside and reached for the remote.

“-CEO of Kaiba Corporation has arranged a special news conference to make an important announcement,” the news announcer said. “We go live to the Kaiba Corp building in downtown Domino City to hear from Kaiba Seto himself.”

The image changed to the familiar view of Kaiba’s office, Kaiba seated behind his desk and with his hands folded in front of him. Yugi smiled to himself, wondering how Mokuba had managed to convince his brother to let the press into his office. He looked perfectly calm, but Yugi sensed that he wasn’t pleased about the location of the press conference.

Kaiba focused on the camera and began speaking. “Tonight, I have a momentous announcement for Duelists around the world. The Duel Monsters Pro League has been seen as the highest pinnacle of achievement a Duelist can reach since it was established several years ago, and with advancements in recent technology, it has only gained in popularity. However! Reaching the stage of the Pro League is a long and difficult road, one many Duelists are unable to undertake for a variety of reasons. And that is where Kaiba Corporation comes in.”

Kaiba paused to take a sip of water from the glass on the desk, and Yugi realized that he was leaning forward eagerly, straining towards the TV so as to not miss anything.

“Kaiba Corp will be assisting in the construction of a brand new academy, one focused solely on teaching the next generation of students everything there is to learn about Duel Monsters. Duelists of the world! Duel Academia is for you and you alone! Study as this school and you might have a chance to become the top-ranked Duelist on Earth!”

Cameras flashed as he finished, and Yugi fell back against the couch. A school primarily for Duel Monsters, backed by Kaiba Corp’s technology and funds? It was incredible. It would change the world of Duel Monsters forever, and he knew that Kaiba would stop at nothing to see the school succeed. Yugi grinned at the TV, feeling his heart swell with pride and happiness for his friend. Grabbing his phone, he sent off a quick SMS text of congratulations to his Kaiba then one to Mokuba asking if his brother had some free time in the next few days.

_His schedule is pretty packed, but he’s available Saturday afternoon. See you then!_

\- - -

Seto was taking a drink of his coffee when the knock came on his office door. “Big Brother, Yugi is here!” Mokuba called through the closed door, and Seto frowned into his coffee. He wasn’t displeased to have his rival visit, but he had expected him to do it sooner, especially after that cheerful message he had found on his phone after the press conference. Yugi was still in his school uniform, indicating that he had come directly here after his classes finished.

“Come in,” he said curtly, lifting his chin as his brother ushered Yugi in.

“I’ll bring you some tea,” Mokuba said brightly, trotting out of the room. Coffee mug in hand, he rose and led Yugi over to the pair of couches in the corner of the office, waving him towards one while he took the other.

Yugi wasted no time in getting to the point. “The announcement about Duel Academia really surprised me, Kaiba-kun! But it’s great news, though!” He beamed at Seto, his smile seeming ever brighter than usual. Or maybe it was just because it had been cloudy all day and he hadn’t seen the sun.

“Yes, it’s great news for all Duelists. Only good Duelists will be accepted, of course.” Although he wasn’t involved in running the school directly, Seto was proud to know that he wouldn’t have any upstarts like Jounouchi running around something he built. It was a pity Yugi would be too old to attend by the time construction was finished, since he was confident that his rival would shine in such an environment.

“I wish I could attend...” Yugi said, looking wistful. “But maybe I’ll get to duel some of the students one day.”

Mokuba returned with the tea, and Seto drained his coffee and let his brother take the empty mug away.

“You intend to keep duelling, then?” he asked pointedly, staring hard at Yugi.

“I...I think so.” Yugi faltered, his hand coming up to curl into his chest. The spot where the Puzzle had hung, he realized, the thought sending a jolt through him. “I haven’t duelled since then,” he continued, both of them knowing what he was referring to. Yugi looked at Seto eyes strangely bright. “I want to duel again, but I’m not sure I can do it right now...” He trailed off, gaze dropping back to the tea he held.

“Duel me, Yugi!” Seto said severely. “Face me and show me that you’re still a Duelist!”

Yugi bit his lip, toying with his tea mug. Seto waited with mounting impatience, but sipped his own tea in order to keep quiet. Yugi slowly lifted his head after a minute, expression firm. “I’ll duel you, Kaiba-kun,” he said quietly. “But not right now.”

“Hmph.” Seto gritted his teeth, wanting to force the issue. But his stomach had a strange knot in it, and he distantly knew that it would be unfair to make Yugi duel when he obviously didn’t want to. Hadn’t they done enough of that in the past? It wasn’t like the fate of the world rested on their duel or some nonsense like that. “Fine. But I’ll be ready and waiting for your challenge, Yugi.”

The smile Yugi gave him was hesitant but thankful. “What about you, Kaiba-kun? Have you duelled since then?”

Seto drained his tea mug before responding. “Obviously not, since I’ve been running a company.” He hadn’t duelled since return from Egypt, and while part of his longed to do so, there was no one aside from Yugi he wanted to battle. No one else was worthy of challenging him. Yugi nodded at his answer and watched as Seto helped himself to more tea. “Is there anything else?” he asked sharply, somewhat irritated by Yugi’s silence.

“No, not really. May I stay and study while you work?” Seto tried not to roll his eyes. Honestly, why was he asking permission _now_? Yugi certainly hadn’t needed it before when he started hanging around.

“If you must,” he said rising and returning to his desk. As he brought up a spreadsheet of Kaiba Corp’s quarterly finances, he half-watched Yugi settle on the couch, textbook on his lap.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Yugi lay on his bed, hands resting lightly on his chest while he stared out of the skylight. It had been a month since Kaiba challenged him to a duel, and he knew he would have to accept that challenge soon. It wasn’t fair to keep Kaiba waiting for too much longer, and to be honest, he missed playing Duel Monsters. He also knew that Atem would have wanted him to keep duelling, especially if it was for fun. After all, it was by playing games that he had met so many friends, and Yugi knew that he couldn’t go back to the shy boy he had been before he had completed the Puzzle. His friends wouldn’t let that happen, and more importantly, he didn’t want to.

Jounouchi had offered to duel him after school to get him back in shape before he faced Kaiba, and he was considering taking his friend up on that. Suddenly deciding that he would, he picked up his phone and an e-mail to Jounouchi saying that he would duel him the following afternoon. Flipping it shut, he sighed. Kaiba was taking up all his thoughts these days, and it wasn’t just about their upcoming duel. “Kaiba-kun...Kaiba.” His other self had always called their rival by his last name only, and even Mokuba called him ‘Big Brother.”

“S-Seto.” Yugi flushed immediately and shook his head. That was way too intimate. “S...Seto-kun.” There, that was better. But would Kaiba ever let Yugi call him that? Maybe someday, but Yugi wanted to do it sooner rather than later. He had realized that Kaiba was much more than a friend to him, and the more time they spent together the stronger his feelings got.

“Pharaoh, what would you do? Should I tell him?” He wished he had Atem here to offer him some advice. The spirit had held strong feelings for Kaiba as well, although Yugi wasn’t certain they had been the same as his. It was yet another thing he would never know about his departed partner and friend. He mother called him for dinner then, so Yugi resolved that he would tell Kaiba his feelings after their duel.

\- - -

Yugi once again stood in front of the Kaiba Corp building, the late afternoon sun turning it a brilliant gold colour that was nearly blinding to look at. “Yugi! Go show Kaiba that you’re still the best duellist around!” Jounouchi said, pumping his fist enthusiastically.

“Yeah, don’t show him any mercy!” Honda added, grinning at him.

Anzu nodded in agreement, finishing with, “I know you can win, Yugi!”

Yugi beamed at his friends, feeling like his heart was about to burst. “Thank you, everyone!” Kaiba had been strict about the duel – it would take place within Kaiba Corp itself, and no observers would be allowed, not even Mokuba. “I might stay afterwards, but I’ll call all of you to tell you how the duel went.” He was finally going to confess to Kaiba, and that might be nearly as difficult as beating Kaiba in a duel. Depending how things turned out, Yugi would stay and have dinner with him.

“You better!” Honda said, glaring at him in mock angry. “We won’t forgive you if you don’t!” Everyone laughed at that, and Yugi gave them one last smile. He wished his friends could watch the duel, but he knew they would support him from afar.

“I better go,” he said, looking towards the doors of the building.

“Probably not a good idea to keep Kaiba waiting,” Jounouchi agreed with a frown. “Good luck, Yugi!”

Honda and Anzu echoed his words, Anzu giving him an encouraging smile. He nodded back at her, then waved at the group and walked towards Kaiba Corp’s entrance, knowing that they were watching him. The doors whooshed open and he stepped into the lobby, finding Mokuba in his usual place of leaning against the main counter.

“Hey, Yugi,” he said cheerfully, straightening up and giving him a smile.

“Hello, Mokuba-kun.” Yugi smiled back and followed him to the elevator. “Kaiba-kun hasn’t been waiting long, has he?”

“Big Brother went to the arena a few minutes ago. Do you need time to prepare?”

“No, I’m ready.” His Duel Disk was on his arm with his deck in place, and he glanced down at it, remembering the hours he had spent making sure his deck was perfect. Kaiba was a tough opponent, and the practice matches with Jounouchi had helped him come up with new tactics he could use. The elevator doors opened onto a hallways Yugi had never seen before, and he wondered how far beneath the surface they were. Mokuba led him to the door at the end, then stopped.

“No one else is allowed past here. Go and have a fantastic duel with Big Brother!”

“Yeah!” Yugi nodded and took a breath before stepping forward and entering the room beyond the door. It was the control room for the arena that lay past it, with two doors on opposite walls leading to the opposite sides of the arena. Through the window, he could see Kaiba waiting at one end, so he chose the other door and walked down the curving corridor that took him to his spot. As he stepped into the area, Kaiba raised his head and looked at him.

“Yugi! I won’t hold back!” Kaiba’s voice boomed across the field, and Yugi wondered if there was a sound system hidden in the walls.

“I won’t either!” he called back, his voice sounding just as loud.

Yugi expected Kaiba to start the duel right away, but instead, Kaiba pointed at him. “In all the duels we had in the past, was I always facing the spirit of that Pharaoh?”

“Yes.” This would be the first time Yugi would duel against Kaiba without the Pharaoh’s assistance. The last time he had stood across from Kaiba like this, it had been on Pegasus’ island.

Even from this distance, he could see Kaiba’s eyes narrow, but all he said was, “I see.” Lowering his hand, he raised his left arm so that the edge of his Duel Disk faced Yugi. Yugi mirrored the motion, and they spoke at the same time. _“DUEL!”_

\- - -

The duel was long and one of the most difficult Seto had ever played. It had come down to a showdown between Ultimate Blue Eyes Dragon and a powered-up Dark Magician. He had thought for a moment that it would end with his victory, but Yugi had outplayed him and won. It was a narrow win, but a win nonetheless. He wouldn’t deny Yugi that. Seto was drained, but not disheartened. Frustrated that he had lost yet another duel to his rival – for Yugi had proved to still be his rival – but not shaken to his core like he had been after Battle City. Instead, curiously, he felt relieved.

The trip back to Seto’s office was made in near silence, Yugi only speaking to excuse himself so he could call his friends. Seto sat down on one of the couches, sliding off his Duel Disk and placing it on the table. His gaze drifted towards the door, and he realized he was expecting Yugi to return. Yugi being around him while he worked had become normal, and he wondered if he would continue to spend his time here now that he had won. Seto hadn’t asked the reason why Yugi insisted on visiting him, but he couldn’t see why he would stop after winning a duel.

The door opened then and Yugi entered, looking surprised to find Seto staring at him. Strangely, he flushed and hurried over to his customary seat across from the CEO. Seto’s stomach seemed to drop at the nervous look on Yugi’s face, and he faced the momentary horror of Yugi rejecting his win on some silly pretense like friendship or honour. But the look in his rival’s eyes seemed to imply something else, and he waited with mounting restlessness while Yugi removed his own and placed it alongside Seto’s.

“Kaiba-kun, I have something important to tell you.” Yugi folded his hands in his lap, glancing between them and Seto. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and, well...” He paused and focused on Seto’s face, and Seto decided that if he said he was quitting Duel Monsters he would ban him from the premises. “I love you.”

Seto simply stared at him. Yugi loved him? Loved _him?_ The idea of it was so absurd he nearly laughed. But all the tension he had been feeling for months had vanished at Yugi’s words and he was suddenly moving, reaching across the table and pulling Yugi to him. His rival let out a surprised sound as he was dragged forward, but then Seto was kissing him, mouth pressing hard against his. Yugi loved him? Good, because Seto felt the same about him.

Seto pulled back slightly, one hand still gripping the front of Yugi’s school shirt. He didn’t need to say anything, he could see that Yugi understood him perfectly. “Kaiba-kun...” Yugi hesitated, then asked, “May I call you Seto-kun? Or is it too soon?”

Seto released him and sat back down, thinking over the question. No one had called him that in a very long time, and it felt strange for someone to do so now. But that may simply be because he wasn’t used to it. “Only in private,” he said at last, watching the smile spread across Yugi’s face.

“Of course!” Unasked, Yugi moved around to sit next to him, and Seto sighed softly. Yugi was definitely going to keep visiting him, but at least now he had a valid reason for doing so.

Speaking of visiting, he recalled that Mokuba had extended an invitation for Yugi to dine with them tonight. A check of the clock told him that there was some time before dinner, but he supposed he should call Mokuba and tell him to outcome of the duel. He got out his phone and did so, leaning back against the couch as Yugi edged closer to his side, looking bashful.

_“Big Brother!”_ The mix of excitement and tension in Mokuba’s voice was obvious, but Seto didn’t even try to break the news gently.

“Yugi won,” he said flatly, watching Yugi fidget out of the corner of his eye.

_“I see...”_ his brother’s voice trailed off, and Seto knew he was wondering if he should comfort his big brother or not.

“It was a close duel,” Seto added rather unhelpfully. “We’re in my office, so send some tea up.”

_“A close duel is always nice!”_ Mokuba replied, sounding slightly more cheerful. _“And yeah, I’ll do that right away. See you at dinner!”_

Seto flipped the phone shut and put it away, glancing over at Yugi. His rival was gazing absently at the far wall, obviously being polite and ignoring the conversation as best he could. Which must have been rather difficult, seeing as how they were right beside each other. A knock at the door came and Seto straightened and pretended like everything was normal while a staff member served their tea. When they had left, he leaned back against the couch and sipped his tea. “What are you doing over winter break?” he asked abruptly.

“Winter break? I haven’t really thought about it. Do you want to do something?” Yugi looked excited at the suggestion, and Kaiba allowed himself to smile very faintly.

“I have a business trip scheduled for a week during that time. I was going to go alone, but you can attend if you can keep yourself busy while I’m in meetings.”

“I’d love to, Seto-kun!” Yugi looked and sounded so delighted that Seto wondered if he had ever been on a vacation before. Surely Pegasus’ island hadn’t been the first time he had left Japan?

“I’ll make the arrangements, then.” Seeing that Yugi was distracted, Seto smoothly reached out and placed his free hand on top of one of Yugi’s, somewhat surprised at just how small his rival’s hands were to his own. Yugi turned red, but his smile told Seto that he was happy. Then and there, Seto resolved to do everything in his power to make sure Yugi was happy. And in turn, he supposed, Yugi would make him happy as well. He had a faint memory of his parents being happy together before they died, so if that was how relationships worked than that was what he would do.

Him and Yugi, together. Unstoppable. Seto smiled. “Yugi, let’s show the world our combined road of battle!”

“Yeah!” Yugi grinned back at him, his joy easily seen in his smile. No, Seto thought, the world wasn’t ready for their combined forces of business prowess and top-notch duelling.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to [Reishiin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Reishiin/profile) for betaing this! Title of the work comes from a poem by [Bokusui Wakayama.](http://poetrykanto.com/2015-issue/bokusui-wakayama/wakayama-bokusuiii)


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